The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) has announced a public hearing scheduled for August 12. The hearing will address the Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC’s application for a 401 water quality certification. This certification is linked to the proposed construction of a 5.2-mile segment of a high-pressure, steel natural gas transmission pipeline in Rockingham County.
The meeting will take place at Eden City Hall Council Chambers, located at 308 E. Stadium Drive, Eden, North Carolina. Registration for speakers will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the hearing starting at 6 p.m.
Mountain Valley Pipeline is seeking approval for the construction of a 30-inch diameter pipeline stretching from Pittsylvania County, Virginia, to Rockingham County, North Carolina. Approximately 5.2 miles of this pipeline are planned to be within North Carolina.
According to the project application, the construction would permanently impact 52 linear feet of jurisdictional intermittent streams and temporarily affect an additional 722 linear feet of streams and approximately 2.9494 acres of wetlands under jurisdiction.
Under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, state certifications are required for activities that could result in discharges into navigable waters. The certification process evaluates whether such projects meet state water quality standards and assesses potential impacts on surface waters or wetlands.
The pipeline aims to provide natural gas supplies requested by Enbridge Gas North Carolina and Duke Energy Carolinas to meet increasing supply and resiliency demands.
The public hearing will offer an opportunity for individuals to present verbal or written comments on the application. However, DWR notes there may not be enough time to accommodate all registered speakers during the session.
In addition to speaking at the hearing, comments can be submitted by mail or email until September 12, at 5 p.m., addressed to Sue Homewood at DWR’s Raleigh office or via an online link using project number 20181638; version four.
All related documents and materials are accessible online through the permit file portal.
